I've written a couple different drafts of possible PS topics. Which sounds the most interesting/unique/marketable to you?

(1) My first instinct was to write essentially a "defense" of the 2 murkier years of my resume (3 marketing jobs in 2 years, a bit of a resume mess with a few month-long gaps), but I'm thinking I should fight that impulse and instead look at the result of my growth during that time, rather than the growth that happened.

(2) Then, I wrote about my experiences in South Korea. The first was essentially an expat "fish out of water" what I realized about myself POV that wrapped my quarter-life denouement (post-crisis) up into my essential American-ness, something I didn't realize until I came overseas. It includes primarily cultural anecdotes.

(3) Since I teach here, I have one that includes some pieces of #2 while focusing more on what I've learned from teaching. This one is a broader one, that includes several different experiences and challenges I faced, and how they made me more reflective of myself.

(4) Finally, I have a piece that focuses on one particular student in my class who was diagnosed with Aspergers (very rare and not at all accepted here in SK) before he moved back to Korea, and how working with him in particular has made me realize things about myself. This one includes both anecdotes/thoughts from my current life and some reflections from earlier life.

Or, do I need another piece that relates more specifically to the law? They all do have SOME mention of why I'm interested in the law. Unfortunately, my interest in the law isn't particularly high-minded. I don't want to save the little guy. I don't want to pretend I do. I do sincerely love looking at the ins and outs of laws, and SK is a great place to really understand how important the American legal system is, as many Americans would consider SK laws severely flawed as compared to ours, muddled, and they are rarely enforced systematically and equitably across the board (most Koreans will tell you this). But I wanted to write about something I've DONE and none of my achievements are legally-based.

Bleh. It's so hard to encapsulate myself in 2 pages in a way that can replace an interview. I wish I could just write it like a Q&A, but I know you can't do that.

ETA: These are obviously for the bland, no-question ones. I much prefer the schools with questions they ask you to answer, but that's only a handful. I have a reason for "Why law school?" but it's not compelling enough for a blank answer, though it is interwoven into all 4 of these essays in its own way. But I definitely have no stirring desire to save the world or anything noble.

I would go with 2 or 4. Ideally, I would seek to incorporate aspects of 4 and maybe even 3 into 2. 1 sounds like something that can be addressed in an addendum or not at all. In any case, you don't want to sound defensive while defending your record (not an easy task).

Oh, one more thing. No need to really talk about your interest in the law. The fact that you are going through the application process is evidence enough that you are interested in the law. You should instead emphasize the perspective that you will bring to a law school classroom.

Johannes de Silentio wrote:Oh, one more thing. No need to really talk about your interest in the law. The fact that you are going through the application process is evidence enough that you are interested in the law. You should instead emphasize the perspective that you will bring to a law school classroom.

Good, I'd hoped that was true, but didn't know. It seems like so many people have these "All I ever wanted to be was a lawyer" stories, and that's just not me. I was always interested in it, but my life wasn't right for it until now.

halfwaygone wrote:(4) Finally, I have a piece that focuses on one particular student in my class who was diagnosed with Aspergers (very rare and not at all accepted here in SK) before he moved back to Korea, and how working with him in particular has made me realize things about myself. This one includes both anecdotes/thoughts from my current life and some reflections from earlier life.

halfwaygone wrote:I've written a couple different drafts of possible PS topics. Which sounds the most interesting/unique/marketable to you?

(1) My first instinct was to write essentially a "defense" of the 2 murkier years of my resume (3 marketing jobs in 2 years, a bit of a resume mess with a few month-long gaps), but I'm thinking I should fight that impulse and instead look at the result of my growth during that time, rather than the growth that happened.

(2) Then, I wrote about my experiences in South Korea. The first was essentially an expat "fish out of water" what I realized about myself POV that wrapped my quarter-life denouement (post-crisis) up into my essential American-ness, something I didn't realize until I came overseas. It includes primarily cultural anecdotes.

(3) Since I teach here, I have one that includes some pieces of #2 while focusing more on what I've learned from teaching. This one is a broader one, that includes several different experiences and challenges I faced, and how they made me more reflective of myself.

(4) Finally, I have a piece that focuses on one particular student in my class who was diagnosed with Aspergers (very rare and not at all accepted here in SK) before he moved back to Korea, and how working with him in particular has made me realize things about myself. This one includes both anecdotes/thoughts from my current life and some reflections from earlier life.

Or, do I need another piece that relates more specifically to the law? They all do have SOME mention of why I'm interested in the law. Unfortunately, my interest in the law isn't particularly high-minded. I don't want to save the little guy. I don't want to pretend I do. I do sincerely love looking at the ins and outs of laws, and SK is a great place to really understand how important the American legal system is, as many Americans would consider SK laws severely flawed as compared to ours, muddled, and they are rarely enforced systematically and equitably across the board (most Koreans will tell you this). But I wanted to write about something I've DONE and none of my achievements are legally-based.

Bleh. It's so hard to encapsulate myself in 2 pages in a way that can replace an interview. I wish I could just write it like a Q&A, but I know you can't do that.

ETA: These are obviously for the bland, no-question ones. I much prefer the schools with questions they ask you to answer, but that's only a handful. I have a reason for "Why law school?" but it's not compelling enough for a blank answer, though it is interwoven into all 4 of these essays in its own way. But I definitely have no stirring desire to save the world or anything noble.